The Hindu : Front Page : “Farmers’ concerns will be decisive at WTO”

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 17, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

“Farmers’ concerns will be decisive at WTO”

Sujay Mehdudia

Protection of agriculture from imports is non-negotiable: Kamal Nath

NEW DELHI: Pointing out that farmers’ livelihood concerns will be “make or break” issues in the coming ministerial meeting in Geneva, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath on Wednesday said he had held consultations with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on India’s negotiating strategy at WTO talks.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Nath said the Special Safeguards Mechanism and Special Products (ways of protecting agriculture from imports) were non-negotiable. These were make or break issues.

The crucial five-day meeting would be held from July 21 to finalise the modalities for completing the Doha Round of trade talks, which were running behind schedule.

“The Prime Minister is of the view that unless India’s interests are protected we should not move forward,” Mr. Nath said.

However, he said he was hopeful that the meeting would conclude a deal. Unless India’s interests were protected, it would have an option to “walk out” of the talks. “We have full option to walk out and there can be no agreement unless India agrees.”

Mr. Nath said services, which contribute over 55 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), would be brought on centre stage of WTO negotiations.

India was seeking better access to the world services market in the areas of health, research and development, engineering, construction and computer maintenance.

Mr. Nath would not be able to attend the ministerial meeting on July 21 and 22, when the United Progressive Alliance government seeks a trust vote in Parliament.

“I have designated Commerce Secretary G.K. Pillai to represent me at the meeting. WTO has given us a special permission.”

The Geneva talks were significant, denoting the endgame of the Doha Round on agriculture and NAMA (Non-Agriculture Market Access).

As regards NAMA, Mr. Nath said the anti-concentration proposal was a caveat on the use of flexibility that defeated the very rationale of flexibilities.

On the contentious issue of sectorals under which duties on an entire sector were brought down to zero, he said India was willing to examine the proposals but these could not be used as a tool to gouge out market access for developing countries.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page